Paolini, Christopher - Inheritance Trilogy, Book 2 - Eldest (v1.5) by Unknown Page A

emerge from seclusion.”
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    “Couldn’t she use magic to tell them of her rescue?”
    “Unfortunately not. When the elves retreated into Du Weldenvarden
    after the fall of the Riders, they placed wards around the forest that pre-
    vent any thought, item, or being from entering it through arcane means,
    though not from exiting it, if I understood Arya’s explanation. Thus, Arya
    must physically visit Du Weldenvarden before Queen Islanzadí will
    know that she is alive, that you and Saphira exist, and of the numerous
    events that have befallen the Varden these past months.” Nasuada
    handed him the scroll. It was stamped with a wax sigil. “This is a missive
    for Queen Islanzadí, telling her about the Varden’s situation and my own
    plans. Guard it with your life; it would cause a great deal of harm in the
    wrong hands. I hope that after all that’s happened, Islanzadí will feel
    kindly enough toward us to reinitiate diplomatic ties. Her assistance
    could mean the difference between victory and defeat. Arya knows this
    and has agreed to press our case, but I wanted you aware of the situation
    too, so you could take advantage of any opportunities that might arise.”
    Eragon tucked the scroll into his jerkin. “When will we leave?”
    “Tomorrow morning. . unless you have something already planned?”
    “No.”
    “Good.” She clasped her hands. “You should know, one other person
    will be traveling with you.” He looked at her quizzically. “King Hrothgar
    insisted that in the interest of fairness there should be a dwarf representa-
    tive present at your training, since it affects their race as well. So he’s
    sending Orik along.”
    Eragon’s first reaction was irritation. Saphira could have flown Arya and
    him to Du Weldenvarden, thereby eliminating weeks of unnecessary
    travel. Three passengers, however, were too many to fit on Saphira’s
    shoulders. Orik’s presence would confine them to the ground.
    Upon further reflection, Eragon acknowledged the wisdom of Hroth-
    gar’s request. It was important for Eragon and Saphira to maintain a sem-
    blance of equality in their dealings with the different races. He smiled.
    “Ah, well, it’ll slow us down, but I suppose we have to placate Hrothgar.
    To tell the truth, I’m glad Orik is coming. Crossing Alagaësia with only
    Arya was a rather daunting prospect. She’s. .”
    Nasuada smiled too. “She’s different.”
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    “Aye.” He grew serious again. “Do you really mean to attack the Em-
    pire? You said yourself that the Varden are weak. It doesn’t seem like the
    wisest course. If we wait—”
    “If we wait,” she said sternly, “Galbatorix will only get stronger. This is
    the first time since Morzan was slain that we have even the slightest op-
    portunity of catching him unprepared. He had no reason to suspect we
    could defeat the Urgals—which we did thanks to you—so he won’t have
    readied the Empire for invasion.”
    Invasion! exclaimed Saphira. And how does she plan to kill Galbatorix
    when he flies out to obliterate their army with magic?
    Nasuada shook her head in response when Eragon restated the objec-
    tion. “From what we know of him, he won’t fight until Urû’baen itself is
    threatened. It doesn’t matter to Galbatorix if we destroy half the Empire,
    so long as we come to him, not the other way around. Why should he
    bother anyway? If we do manage to reach him, our troops will be bat-
    tered and depleted, making it all the easier for him to destroy us.”
    “You still haven’t answered Saphira,” protested Eragon.
    “That’s because I can’t yet. This will be a long campaign. By its end you
    might be powerful enough to defeat Galbatorix, or the elves may have
    joined us. . and their spellcasters are the strongest in Alagaësia. No matter
    what happens, we cannot afford to delay. Now is the time to gamble and
    dare what no one thinks we can accomplish. The Varden have lived in
    the shadows for too long—we must